FSD3862 Interviews with Gerontological Social Work and Diaconal Work Clients and Those Working with Older Adults 2021
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Study title
Interviews with Gerontological Social Work and Diaconal Work Clients and Those Working with Older Adults 2021
Dataset ID Number
FSD3862
Persistent identifiers
https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3862https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd3862
Data Type
Qualitative
Authors
- University of Helsinki
- University of Eastern Finland
- University of Lapland
Abstract
The data includes 30 group interviews and 19 individual interviews conducted in the Gerontological social work responding to complex needs of older adults (GERIT) research project. Due to the timing of the interviews, several of the interviews discuss the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the lives of older people and the services provided to them.
Group interviews with client and service advisors cover the reasons for becoming a client, the typical service process, and counselling and guidance. They also discuss service needs assessments, post-assessment interventions and the challenges of meeting service needs. Discussions also cover the identification of specific support needs and cooperation with different service providers.
The group interviews with third sector workers ask what kind of services the organisation offers to older people and in what situation older people seek these services. They also discuss the challenges faced by older people, such as financial problems, and their resources. The interviews also discuss training of volunteers and referral of older people to other services, as well as cooperation with social services in the area.
The group interviews with social workers in client counselling ask about successful and challenging client relationships and reflect on trust and the authority of the parties in a client relationship. The interviews also discuss how the client's motivation or attitude affects the relationship and how the worker can influence these factors. The interviews also discuss how to act if the client does not perceive or understand that they need support, but the worker sees an obvious need for support.
The group interviews with diaconal workers focus on the participants' own diaconal work backgrounds and the diaconal responsibilities of their churches. Participants describe how and why older people come to the diaconal work. They also describe different types of challenging client situations and assess the impact of diaconal work in responding to the support needs of older people. The interviews also cover cooperation with other service providers.
The group interviews in outreach work with older people focus on the characteristics of the work and ways of reaching clients. The interviews discuss the reasons for older clients' support needs, such as loneliness, isolation and lack of networks. The interviews include discussions on the practices of outreach work for older people and its relevance as part of services for older people.
The group interviews with gerontological social workers explore the ways in which and the reasons why clients come to the service counselling. Participants describe the content of the client counselling process and the practices used to identify service needs. Interviewees are asked about the situations in which the expertise of a social worker is needed and examples of these situations. The identification of specific support needs and cooperation with providers of services for older people are also discussed.
Group interviews with social welfare and income support workers discuss the referral of older people as clients and the assessment of their service needs. Participants also discuss the challenges of the work, the specific support needs of clients and how to identify them. Finally, cooperation with gerontological social work is discussed.
The individual interviews with clients of diaconal work and gerontological social work go through the life situation, everyday life, living environment, home conditions and family relationships of the interviewees. The interviewees talk about their life history, the work they have done, their current concerns and problems. They are asked how they feel they have been able to seek and receive help, and they also share their thoughts about the future.
In the individual interviews, the background information included client group, age, gender and regional data. For group interviews, background information included the professional or expert group represented by the interviewees, the time of the interview and the number and gender of the interviewees.
Keywords
COVID-19; ageing; care of the elderly; elderly; old age; social problems; social services; social work; social workers
Topic Classification
- Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
- Elderly (CESSDA Topic Classification)
- Social welfare systems/structures (CESSDA Topic Classification)
- Specific social services: use and availability (CESSDA Topic Classification)
Series
Individual datasetsDistributor
Finnish Social Science Data Archive
Access
The dataset is (B) available for research, teaching and study.
Data Collector
- Niemi, Mia (University of Helsinki)
- Soukiala, Tiina (University of Helsinki)
- Peiponen, Jenna (University of Eastern Finland)
- Ruotsalainen, Suvi (University of Eastern Finland)
- Korpelainen, Anne (University of Lapland)
- Rossi, Eeva (University of Lapland)
Funders
- Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (VN/25316/202)
Collection Dates
2021 – 2021
Nation
Finland
Geographical Coverage
Finland
Analysis/Observation Unit Type
Individual
Universe
Clients of gerontological social work and diaconal work as well as professionals working with older adults
Time Method
Cross-section
Sampling Procedure
Non-probability: Purposive
For the individual interviews, the interviewees were selected from gerontological social work clients in two of the GERIT study areas and from diaconal clients in three of the study areas. Clients with severe memory problems and clients with other severe cognitive impairment or other conditions that could affect participation were excluded. The gerontological social workers in the study locations were asked to invite their social work clients with multiple causes of client involvement and/or identified as needing special support to be interviewed. The workers informed the clients, who were suitable for the study, about the study and asked their clients' permission for the researcher to contact them to arrange an interview. The diaconal workers asked the clients if they were willing to participate in the study and provided the contact details of the willing clients to the researcher, who contacted them by telephone. Clients with a range of difficult life situations were encouraged to be interviewed.
For the group interviews, most of the interviewees were selected from the GERIT research areas (four areas in different parts of Finland), which were defined in advance in the project's research plan. For the interviews on diaconal work and outreach work for older adults, interviewees were also recruited from eight other regions. Invitation and consent forms for the research were sent to the workers by e-mail via the contact persons of the organisations (in individual cases also by contacting the workers directly by e-mail), after which those who expressed their willingness to participate in the research took part in it.
Collection Mode
Face-to-face interview
Web-based interview
Research Instrument
Interview scheme and/or themes
Data Files
49 interviews in odt-format. Additionally, the data were organised into an easy to use HTML version and a CSV version.
Data File Language
The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: Finnish.
Qualitative data are available in their original language only and are not translated.
Data Version
1.0
Completeness of Data and Restrictions
The researchers have anonymised the data. The names of participants, locations and organisations have been removed or truncated, as well as identifying information relating to work history, job positions, life situation or third parties.
Citation Requirement
The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.
Bibliographical Citation
University of Helsinki & University of Eastern Finland & University of Lapland: Interviews with Gerontological Social Work and Diaconal Work Clients and Those Working with Older Adults 2021 [dataset]. Data version 1.0 (2024-09-12). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd3862; URN: https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3862
Deposit Requirement
Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.
Disclaimer
The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.
Related Publications
Peiponen, Jenna, Tiilikainen, Elisa, & Kinni, Riitta-Liisa (2023). Pyörivää kehää ja pallottelua : Tuen tarpeisiin vastaamisen haasteet ikääntyneiden asiakas- ja palveluohjauksessa. Focus Localis, 51(2), 26-42. https://journal.fi/focuslocalis/article/view/122968
Soukiala Tiina, Rossi Eeva, Peiponen Jenna, Niemi Mia & Kinni Riitta-Liisa (2024) Vaikuttavaa gerontologista sosiaalityötä erityisen tuen tarpeet tunnistamalla. Teoksessa Marja Hekkala, Jenni Repo, Jenni-Mari Räsänen & Katja Kuusisto (toim.) Tutkiva sosiaalityö. Vaikuttava sosiaalityö muuttuvissa toimintaympäristöissä. Sosiaalityön tutkimuksen seura & Talentia, 101-114.
Rossi, Eeva, Soukiala, Tiina & Seppänen, Marjaana (2024) ”Me ollaan vahvasti rinnalla kulkijoita” Kolmannen sektorin, diakoniatyön ja gerontologisen sosiaalityön toimijoiden rationaliteetit vanhuspalveluissa. Yhteiskuntapolitiikka 89(4), 336-349. https://www.julkari.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/149760/YP2404_Rossiym.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Rossi, Eeva, Korpelainen, Anne, Hirvonen, Jenna & Ruotsalainen, Suvi (2021) Erityisen tuen tarpeet iäkkäiden arjessa. Vanhustyö 3, 12-13.
Study description in machine readable DDI-C 2.5 format
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